I am addressing the topic of Titanium Dioxide because there is a growing concern in the natural community about this ingredient in personal care and cosmetics.
I started digging into this more and found it to be very interesting, and after several questions from customers, I obtained the below statement from my manufacturer:
“This is a declaration to confirm that the mineral Titanium Dioxide used in cosmetic products manufactured and/or distributed by Skin2Spirit, Inc., comes in the rutile type.
It does not contain the anatase type and has a purity of more than 99%. It is therefore allowed without restrictions in all types of cosmetics.
Purity is confirmed by a certificate of analysis from the manufacturer of the bulk material.
Skin2Spirit, Inc. is compliant with Regulation EU 1223/2009 for Cosmetics and is complying with all laid down restrictions, including the restrictions on the use of nanoparticles, also implying Titanium Dioxide (anatase) is not present.”
Drs Hanny
Roskamp (PhD in Chemistry)
Safety
Assessor,
Arnhem,
The Netherlands, August 2018
tel:
+31643979454
Our Titanium Dioxide is NOT a nano-particle, which is of concern because it is more easily absorbed by the skin. The type used in our Better'n Ur Skin Mineral Foundation sits on the skin (nobody knows the exact absorption rate, but it is considered to be very, very small in this form) and acts as a natural sunscreen.
What causes more cancer, the sun or the sunscreen?
The sun is another topic for another day! But in short…most sunscreens are quite toxic and should only be used with caution. I only use natural sunscreens without all of the added chemicals to make it “glide on”, “spray on”, “waterproof”, etc. These are all coming up in studies that prove that some of these other chemicals cause more cancer than the sun causes!
So why are people talking about Titanium Dioxide now?
It seems there are several bloggers and companies who are misinformed about Titanium Dioxide, more specifically, the type that is not used in our cosmetics.
Quite frankly, I am not sure where they are getting their information from, but it seems like every article I have seen is also trying to sell a “Titanium Dioxide Free” product on their website!
Please know that I only allow ingredients in my products that are a 0-3 on the “Skin Deep” database on the Environmental Working Group website, and this ingredient comes up as a 1-3.
This site is run by volunteers, people who are not selling anything or being paid, and they do keep on top of new research.
Their research suggests that the “inhalable” form of Titanium Dioxide is causing some concern for the workers that actually make the products, not the products themselves, unless they are in LOOSE POWDER form (think loose mineral eyeshadow, blush, etc.) where they can be inhaled.
“Possible human carcinogen (only for inhalation AND products that may be aerosolized (airborne)”
I will also like to add that there are so many different "Cosmetic Grades" of Titanium (Ti) that can be and are used within the cosmetic industry, let alone other fields.
And there are also so many different percentages of the ingredient that are used within different formulations. This is not a one size fits all sort of thing.
I can’t speak for any of those, I can only speak for ours. This is based on the above declaration and the added fact that our formulas are not subjected to the California’s PROP 65 regulations for Titanium Dioxide.
This is only applicable to the Titanium Dioxide that is unbound and air-borne particle of respirable size. Although we ourselves feel to the best of our knowledge that it is a safe product to use in our market, you should use your own discretion and if you do not feel comfortable with the inclusion of Ti, we totally understand.
Will we continue putting this ingredient in our makeup?
Most likely! I have not seen any real evidence that it is a problem or concern in the applications that we use it in, and the specific type that we use. However, I will continue to monitor the research and to add to this at a later date if more information does become available.